2019-20 Early Lineup Look: Army West Point

The top of the EIWA Conference has been pretty predictable for the better part of almost twenty years. Lehigh and Cornell typically battle for conference supremacy, although Princeton has emerged as a threat to both. After those three there usually has been a rotating cast of teams that fight for that fourth slot, but those days could be over. Army West Point finished fourth at the 2019 tournament placed all ten of their wrestlers for just the second time in program history. Their 106.5 points accumulated at the event also are the second-most in the long, storied history of the school. The man that leads this group is heading into his sixth year at the helm, in Kevin Ward. Under Ward, the Black Knights have had a positive trajectory in his five previous seasons. They started his tenure with three wins in both of his first two years, before moving up to seven in year five. Last season, seven Army wrestlers qualified for the NCAA Championships which is the most for the program since 1987. There should be no drop-off in 2019-20, if anything an improvement, as six of those qualifiers return. Of course, Ward and his staff are still looking to produce an All-American, an honor that has eluded them so far in their tenure. The team is looking to snap an AA-less drought that goes back to the 2007-08 season. One of the most critical parts of a coach’s job at Army West Point is defeating heated rival Navy. Under Ward’s leadership, Army has now beaten Navy in three straight matches, which had last happened in the 1960s. Ward is now 4-1 in his five duals against the Midshipmen. Here’s an early look at a squad that could turn heads in 2019-20 and establish themselves as a team to beat in the EIWA.